Gov. Abbott issues executive order blocking COVID-19 vaccine mandates, adds item to special session discussion

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Aug. 25 blocking any government entity in the state from mandating any COVID-19 vaccinations, a policy previously set in place by executive orders GA-35 and GA-38 that addressed COVID-19 vaccines under emergency use authorization.

The latest executive order comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval Aug. 23 to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, making the Pfizer vaccine no longer under "emergency use authorization," Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.

"No governmental entity can compel any individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine," the executive order reads. "No consumer may be denied entry to a facility financed in whole or in part by public funds for failure to provide documentation regarding the consumer’s vaccination status for any COVID-19 vaccine."

The order does not limit nursing homes and assisted-living or long-term care facilities from requiring documentation of a resident's COVID-19 vaccination status, the order reads.

The executive order also adds the issue of mandating COVID-19 vaccines to the legislature's special session agenda, exploring whether any state or local governmental entities in Texas can mandate an individual receive a COVID-19 vaccine and what exemptions should apply, according to an Aug. 25 release from the governor's office.

"Vaccine requirements and exemptions have historically been determined by the legislature, and their involvement is particularly important to avoid a patchwork of vaccine mandates across Texas," Abbott said in the release.

The executive order continues the state's policy of prohibiting vaccine mandates while the legislature considers the issue, the order reads.